If David Casey is filling out any future Lottery tickets he might find himself with an audience since it's rare for any jump jockey to enjoy the sort of good fortune that Casey had at Leopardstown yesterday.
Sackville, the Gold Cup favourite Casey had visited the Turf Club's appeals body in order to be free to ride, was a morning withdrawl from the Ericsson Chase because of a runny nose.
Since Casey had also given up the big-race mount on Foxchapel King to be free for Sackville, this was not news to make him happy. But then fate took a hand to make it a Casey bonanza.
Conor O'Dwyer had elected to ride Big-And-Bold in the Neville & Sons Chase instead of Give Over and had to endure watching Casey make full use of the spare ride on the 12 to 1 shot.
"A peach of a ride," was the verdict of Give Over's trainer Eddie Hales, but the rider's luck gland was only starting to pump.
Paul Carberry had been dropped from his horse at the start of the first race and injured a thumb in the process. It didn't stop him riding there, nor in the following three races, but by the Ericsson he cried enough.
"Paul was man enough to tell me he couldn't give Foxchapel King 110 per cent," said trainer Mouse Morris. "Only for that he would have ridden the horse."
Enter Casey for a return to the Foxchapel King hot seat and he used the chance to give another example of why he was in such demand in the first place. Taking the initiative from the third last, Casey powered away from Native Upmanship and although it was hard work from the last, Foxchapel King had enough in hand.
It was also enough for Ladbrokes to go as short as 20 to 1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and perhaps present Casey with another picking dilemma in February's Hennessy.
"Everything went perfectly according to plan. I got a good lead from Ferbet Junior and even though we led soon enough, I know he keeps going," said Casey.
Morris immediately nominated the Hennessy, and another clash with Florida Pearl, as a next target for Foxchapel King who is unbeaten this season.
"We can dream tonight about going to the Cheltenham Gold Cup with maybe one more run before it," he said.
Willie Mullins was delighted with Alexander Banquet's return to action and Native Upmanship's trainer Arthur Moore said: "He is not a Gold Cup horse and he will be entered in the Champion Chase in case the ground comes up soft. But two and a half miles looks his trip."
The Supreme Novices Hurdle favourite Like-A-Butterfly started 2 to 7 for the novice hurdle and scraped home by just half a length leaving Christy Roche pretty gloomy in the winner's enclosure.
"She's won but I would have liked to have seen a bit more," he conceded. "There is a concern about my horses and we had a big debate this morning about whether we would run or not."
There was also a debate in the Roche yard about whether or not Bannow Bay would take on Limestone Lad in the Christmas Hurdle and it was owner Paul Shanahan who won out.
"I was looking for problems but couldn't find any and Paul said to run. I'm not sure I would have had that courage," said Roche after Bannow Bay had shocked Limestone Lad by a length.
